1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to orthopedic garments, and more specifically to a lumbosacral orthosis garment uniquely designed for athletes or active industrial workers.
2. Description of the Art
Lower back disorders and the pain associated therewith have become epidemic in today's society. Such disorders are typically caused by a combination of poor posture, faulty body mechanics, stressful living and working habits, loss of flexibility and a general decline in physical fitness. In general, the best non-surgical management techniques for such disorders include proper strengthening exercises, treatment and rest, and back-care education. However, there are many instances in which orthopedic orthoses in the form of lumbosacral braces, supports and the like can be effectively used to supplement such management techniques or to help prevent injury or reinjury to the lower back. Such orthoses are particularly useful in reducing mobility of the spine joints so as to reduce the amount of intervertebrae bending and intervertebrae torsion in the regions where the garments are applied and also function to lessen the average axial loading and bending loading on the spine, thereby, avoiding or reducing strain and aggravation to the spine during physical activity. Such orthoses (typically referred to as "backbrace") devices are also helpful in reminding the wearer of the fact that an injury has taken place and that he should not make sudden motions that will override the protective mechanisms of his body, and/or to provide definitive protection against those kinds of rapid dynamic motion that occur during strenuous athletic or industrial activity.
The need for such orthopedic orthoses devices is particularly acute for those involved in strenuous athletic or industrial work activities which place abnormal stress and strain on the spine. In performing their required functions, such individuals do not always have the opportunity to observe desired back safety and protection guidelines and can often use the additional support and protection provided by an orthopedic orthosis.
A number of styles of lower back support orthoses have been known in the art. Such devices, which are typically configured to provide sacroiliac support or support for the lumbar spine region, have generally been effective for use by those who are not involved in any physical activity involving rapid movement. However, for those activities involving strenuous motion including stretching, twisting or jumping, which may for example be experienced by basketball players, hockey players or golfers, such standard orthoses devices have a tendency to migrate or ride up on the body of the wearer. To be effective in providing relief or support to the lower spine, such devices necessarily partially encircle the pelvis and hips and at least partially overlie the upper buttocks region of the wearer, which naturally tends to urge the orthosis upward on the body during physical activity. On an active wearer, it does not take long for such orthosis to rapidly migrate upward on the body, thereby decreasing its effectiveness and becoming very uncomfortable for the wearer. In such instances, the orthosis becomes more of an impediment to the wearer than an aid.
Efforts have been made in the art to maintain the desired position of the orthosis on the body. Crotch, groin and leg straps secured to the lower edges of the orthosis have been used in an attempt to keep the orthosis from riding up on the wearer's body. Such structures, however, have been largely unacceptable to active wearers such as athletes, due to the discomfort and irritation caused by the pressures and chafing of such straps. Besides the desirability for lower back support, active athletes often also have a need for support of their upper thighs (i.e., hamstring and quadricep muscles), their abdomen muscles and their groin area muscles. While earlier techniques typically required individual support structures for each such set of muscles, modern "compression" shorts or liners constructed of nylon/spandex.RTM. or cotton/poly/lycra.RTM. fabrics have been found to be effective in simultaneously providing graduated compression and support to the hamstring, quadricep, groin area and abdominal muscles--while yielding superior flexibility and comfort over prior art individual support techniques. Heretofore, however, no attempt has been made to combine the support features offered by such compression shorts with those of an orthopedic lumbar support orthosis.
This invention provides such combination, in a manner which enables an active athlete or individual to comfortably wear a lumbar support orthosis which stays in place during strenuous active movement and which simultaneously provides desired support to the upper thigh, groin area and abdominal muscles.